Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne slammed unbeaten 49 and 28 respectively to take Australia to a comprehensive nine-wicket win over India in the third Test at Holkar Stadium on Friday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Day three's play began with Australia needing 76 runs to win on a minefield of a pitch. Despite losing Usman Khawaja early for a two-ball duck, Head and Labuschagne were able to make short work of the target and got the job done in 18.5 overs to make the four-game scoreline 2-1.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The victory also means that Australia have qualified for the World Test Championship final, to be held from June 7-11 at The Oval in London.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The day began with Ravichandran Ashwin getting an outside edge on Khawaja's forward defence and KS Bharat catching it behind. Khawaja went for a review, but replays showed a healthy spike on the UltraEdge, giving India some relief.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
A fiercely determined Ashwin asked tough questions of Head and Labuschagne and even took a DRS against the latter when Virat Kohli, at leg-slip, took a diving catch, which resulted in India burning a review.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
After some quiet overs as Australia were just 13\/1 in ten overs, Head broke the shackles by whacking Ashwin over mid-on for four and followed it up with a huge six down the ground in the 11th over where India had got to change the ball.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Head welcomed Ravindra Jadeja by hammering a four over his head and Labuschagne ended the over by sweeping the left-arm spinner through mid-wicket for another boundary in the over.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
When Ashwin overpitched, Labuschagne quickly brought out the cover drive for a delightful four. When Jadeja sent in an arm ball, Head played the cut late through backward point for another boundary.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Ashwin was taken apart in the 15th over, as Head danced down the pitch to punch through cover while Labuschagne placed a reverse sweep well through backward point to make it two fours in the over.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India introduced Umesh Yadav in the bowling attack as a last throw of dice. But Head and Labuschagne were unstoppable; the former slapped the Vidarbha pacer through cover while the latter pulled past square leg to make it two boundaries.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
When Ashwin pitched up, Head smacked down the ground for four. Labuschagne finished off the chase in style by dancing down the pitch and lofting past mid-on for four to take Australia to an emphatic Test victory in India, and their first in the country since the 2017 win in Pune.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India introduced Umesh Yadav in the bowling attack as a last throw of dice. But Head and Labuschagne were unstoppable; the former slapped the Vidarbha pacer through cover while the latter pulled past square leg to make it two boundaries.<\/p>\r\n\r\n